Micah's First Shaliach Hopes to Foster Connection Between American Jews and Israel

"Good morning, I'm Tal. We're going to be talking about Israel and the events leading to the Gaza war."

So announced Tal Perelman to a dozen or so people on a lovely fall Sunday morning. Tal, as he prefers to be called, is Temple Micah's shaliach, or emissary. He was hired and trained by the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-governmental organization in Israel that for 80 years has sent shaliachs to live in Jewish communities around the world, where they explain Israeli life and culture and promote Jewish education.

Most shaliachs work with a community such as a city or metropolitan are. In Perelman's case, however, he is working solely for Temple Micah, Rabbi Zemel said. "We wanted a shaliach at the temple," he said. "In my 25 years at Micah, I had never met a D.C. shaliach unless I went looking for him. Every synagogue should have a shaliach."

Micah's decision to hire a shaliach started with its Education Task Fore. The task force cited the need in Jewish education for a greater focus on Israel and on learning about being Jewish. "We needed someone from Israel to do that," Rabbi Zemel said. "We needed a native who could permeate our education program with what it means to be Jewish."

Once that decision was made, the one to hire Perelman was easy. Rabbi Zemel and some members knew Perelman, 21, from Or Hadash, Micah's sister synagogue in Haifa. Micah applies to the Jewish Agency for a shaliach and specifically requested Perelman. In addition to hiring and training him, the Jewish Agency arranged for his passport and visa, secured his health insurance and took care of the paperwork. Under a grant from the Legacy Heritage Foundation, a private group that supports education programs at synagogues, Temple Micah pays Perelman a stipend and living expenses.

From Perelman's perspective, Temple Micah is a perfect fit. First of all, he had previously spent three days in Washington as part of an exchange program hosted by Micah. And he had met Micah members when they visited Or Hadash.

Beyond that consideration, Perelman said he wanted to contribute to a better understanding of Israel by American Jews.

"I wanted to be a shaliach for several years", he said. "I wanted to share my knowledge of Israel. I wanted to do something important for my country. I wanted to give to Israel."

What does Perelman hope to achieve as Temple Micah's shaliach? "I want Micah members to know how beautiful Israel is and why it is so important to have a Jewish land and a Jewish state that can protect Jews,` he said. "I hope that my words will encourage people to visit Israel. I want to be the one who people can come to for information on Israel."

Toward that end, Perelman will, among other activities, lead a class entitled "Exploring Israel," work on exchange programs between Micah youth and Or Hadash youth and teach Hebrew twice a week. Before coming to Micah in September, Perelman served two and a half years in the Israeli navy. During the Gaza war, he was stationed aboard a guided missile frigate, but also saw action on land.

Perelman's time at Micah will end in June 2010, when he plans to return to Israel and attend college. He wants to major in history. Perelman has not thought much about life after college, but he hopes to remain involved with the Jewish community worldwide.

Rabbi Zemel hopes that Perelman will be the first in a string of shaliachs at Temple Micah, perhaps every three or four years.

"I want to give Israel a face within the Micah community," he said.

[By Jeffrey P. Cohn; from December 2009/January 2010 Vine]